14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft tried to bring Windows 10 on all its devices with a strategy called Windows Everywhere, and while PCs, tablets, and smartphones do come with a similar interface, they are either running a different version of the operating system or boast different UI features that set each other apart.
As part of its efforts to truly bring Windows everywhere, Microsoft is now aiming to make Windows 10 look exactly the same on all its devices, including here PCs, smartphones, and gaming consoles.
A new project that’s reportedly called “Composable Shell” is supposed to lead to the creation of a common shell that would be used on all supported devices. The Windows Shell is the operating system component that makes all the magic happen, as it’s focused essentially on the desktop and its features, including the taskbar, the Start menu, and the action center.
Coming with Redstone 3?
Although the plan is to make Windows 10 look almost the same on all devices, this doesn’t mean that some features making sense for each platform won’t be retained. Phones will continue to work like phones and Xbox consoles will still have features that just make sense on this type of device.
Microsoft has already hinted that this is indeed the plan, and in the last few months, speculation pointed to improvements coming to specific Windows 10 features, such as Continuum, which could bring it in line with desktops. For example, it was said that Continuum would come with better support for taskbar icons, window mode, plus other little improvements that would simulate a genuine PC experience.
At this point, this feature is still in the works behind closed doors, but Microsoft is clearly heading in this direction and a future Redstone update should bring it to the market.
The Creators Update, which is due in April, is unlikely to come with the Composable Shell, though, as the feature is still in its early days, but on the other hand, there’s a bigger chance that the Redstone 3 builds would bring it to insiders in just a few months.